North Korea announced on Wednesday that it had launched sea-to-surface cruise missiles into its western waters, showcasing its advancing military capabilities while U.S. President Donald Trump visited South Korea for a regional summit. The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that the tests conducted on Tuesday were successful, with the missiles flying for over two hours and hitting targets accurately. KCNA stated that these missiles would enhance the range of the country’s nuclear-armed military forces.
South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff confirmed that they had detected the launch preparations, and the cruise missiles were fired in North Korea’s northwestern waters at approximately 3 p.m. local time on Tuesday. Both South Korea and the United States are currently analyzing the weapons and maintaining a combined defense readiness to respond dominantly to any provocation from North Korea.
The North Korean report was released just before an anticipated summit between Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung in Gyeongju. This summit coincided with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings hosted by South Korea this year.
According to KCNA, the missile tests were overseen by senior military official Pak Jong Chon, who also supervised sailor training on North Korea’s newly developed destroyers Choe Hyon and Kang Kon, which Kim Jong-un, the country’s leader, has deemed crucial assets in bolstering the navy.
These recent missile launches by North Korea followed last week’s tests of short-range ballistic missiles involving a new hypersonic system aimed at reinforcing its nuclear deterrence capabilities.
While Trump had expressed a desire to meet with Kim during his visit to South Korea, where he was scheduled to have a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, South Korean officials have indicated that a Trump-Kim meeting is unlikely. North Korea has avoided any discussions with Washington and Seoul since the breakdown of Kim’s nuclear diplomacy with Trump in 2019.
Kim’s current foreign policy focus is on Russia. Recently, he has deployed thousands of troops and significant military equipment to support President Vladimir Putin’s actions in Ukraine, while positioning North Korea as part of a united front against the Western powers led by the U.S.
In a recent statement, Kim reiterated that North Korea would not engage in talks with the United States unless Washington abandons its demand for North Korea’s denuclearization, despite Trump’s repeated expressions of optimism regarding new diplomatic efforts.
